Jar of Hearts
by Raven Runnels
Summary: "Who do you think you are... Running around leaving scars... Collecting your Jar of Hearts.. And tearing love apart.. You're gonna catch a cold with the Ice inside your sould.. So don't come back to me.. Who do you think you are... "
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters depicted in this story. **

**Guys, just letting you all know, I am not fantastic at writing stories. This is my first one, and it probably sucks big time. Your criticism, both constructive and other, is welcome. Thank you for taking the time to read this. Enjoy! ~*~**

The setting sun cast an orange hue against the evening sky. Cody sat in the windowsill, softly humming to himself as he awaited the return of Randy. Cody looked out the window, watching mothers usher their children inside. And with good timing, too. As the last few children parked their bikes near the stairs and scampered up the few steps that led into their homes, a loud roar of thunder rolled across the metropolitan area. This abrupt end to the impending silence caused Cody to change his glance upward. It, indeed, looked like a storm was threatening the area. The momentarily beautiful horizon darkened with building clouds. Cody jumped slightly as an ominous bolt of lightning tore across the sky, only to be followed seconds later by another roll of thunder. Rain droplets began to fall from the sinister-looking skies. Small raindrops landed on the bare skin of Cody's forearm. He brushed them off and pulled his knees closer to his chest, resting his head on his kneecaps. He glanced inside his hotel room at the clock on the wall. It was 6:42 p.m. Randy's never been out this long before, Cody thought to himself. Well, at least not without calling. Where could he be?

As if almost on cue, a car door below slammed with such a force that it sent small vibrations up to where Cody was sitting. Randy was home. And by the sound of it... He wasn't in a fantastic mood.

The door to the hotel room opened and shut loudly. Randy walked into the den carrying his duffle bag in one hand and his phone and keys in the other. He cast his bag into the easy chair in the corner of the room and threw the keys and phone on the coffee table. He plopped down on the couch and rubbed his aching temples.

"...Hey, Randy," Cody said, gently.

".. Hi," Randy replied.

"Is everything alright?" Cody asked.

"Yes," Randy said, getting annoyed.

"It doesn't sound li-"

"God, Cody!" Randy shouted, "We don't have to force small talk every time we pass! I just got in the fucking door! I've had a long and rough day! Just let me have a minute to breathe, here!"

"Yeah.. You must have had a really hard day," Cody retorted. "You go to the gym.. And seeing all the heavy machinery and doing all that exercise must have been so hard, huh?"

"At least I actually did something," Randy fired back. "You probably just stayed home all day and jerked off while I actually did something productive!"

"Randy... Where the hell is all this coming from?" Cody asked.

"All what?" Randy questioned.

"All this attitude. I only said 'hi' to you and asked you if you were alright, because you seemed upset. Geeze.. You act as though I stole something!"

"...You did steal something, actually," Randy said.

"What?" Cody asked, bewildered.

"Two years of my life," Randy stated. "You stole from me two precious years of my life.. Two years' worth of valuable time.. Wasted.. You took two years from me that I can't get back! You're like a leech. You've sucked the happy out of my life! But I guess that's okay with you.. I guess that's what makes you who you are."

"Feel better?" Cody asked, hurt.

"Yes, actually," Randy said. "But not much."

"I bet you've been holding that in for a while, huh?" Cody snapped.

"Much too long," Randy replied.

"So, I guess that everything we've gone through together is all just a big waste?" Cody asked. "The whole time we've been together.. It's all just been a twisted game for you to play? You're nothing but a player.. A filthy, run-of-the-mill player!"

"Don't hate the player, baby," Randy said, "hate the game."

"After all the love I gave you," Cody said. "After all the times we had made love.. After all the things that I sacrificed for you.. This is how you repay me.."

"Well," Randy said, "I will admit this.. You were a good fuck.. But, let's face it, kid.. There never has been any love between us.."

Cody's face burned with anger as tears feel from his eyes.

"Get the hell out of here!" Cody yelled. "Get the fuck out!"

"Gladly," Randy retorted.

Randy picked up his duffle bag, as though it were already packed and ready to go, and headed towards the door.

"Since we're being honest here," Randy said, "I think I'll go ahead and get this off my chest... I've been going behind your back with Teddy (Ted DiBiase, Jr.).

Randy stood for a few moments more, drinking in the sight of a broken Cody. The sight of this young man, breaking down in tears.. Looking so distraught.. But almost as quickly as he had broken down, he gathered himself together and glared into Randy's eyes.

"Well," Cody said, "I haven't exactly been the most faithful partner, either.. You see.. I've been going behind your back with Nicky (Dolph Ziggler) for the past six months."

Now it was Cody's turn to watch Randy's expression with a smug look on his face.

"Hmm... So, we're a couple of Tiger Woods, eh Codes?" Randy mused.

"Hole in one, Ran," Cody sneered.

Randy nodded as he opened the door and began to walk out. But as he stepped over the threshold, he turned back around and looked at Cody.

"Oh, one more thing," Randy said. "Get that lisp thing fixed there, Dusty.. If you're not careful, someone may get the wrong impression of you."

"Yeah," Cody said, "that I've been with you. And for so long, I've had to fake my infatuation for your Tootsie-Roll-sized cock!"

Cody slammed the door, but not without one last look on Randy's outraged and embarrassed face. A random wave of rage over-took Cody. He half-ran into the den and began to demolish the ripped books off the bookshelf and threw them half-hazardously across the room. He ripped posters from the wall and tore them all into shreds. Then, he came to a photo of himself and Randy that was taken of their one-year anniversary. He took the picture out of its frame and tore it down the middle.

"You are nothing to me," Cody said, fighting back the bitter tears.

He stumbled into the kitchen, trying to avoid all the objects that were now strewn across the once-clean floor, and got a bottle of Vodka. As he drank away the pain, he sang to himself.

"If happy-ever-afters still exist," he sang, "I would still be holding you like this... All those fairy tales are full of shit... One more fucking love.. song.. I'll be s-s-sick.."

He broke off, unable to keep his voice from shaking, and cried softly.

"This is good," Cody stated. "I'd rather hurt than feel nothing at all..."

Just then, his phone began to ring.

"Nicky3"

It was Nicky. Cody stared at the screen for a moment or two, then pressed "Ignore Call".  
"I love you," Cody said, "don't get me wrong... But my heart beats for another.. They say that home is where the heart is.. And you are not where my heart belongs... I'm so sorry, Nicky..."

And with that, Cody finished the bottle of alcohol. He placed a brief phone call to the manager at the front desk, saying that his stay in the hotel was wonderful, but he has to be going now. He left the keys to the room on the dining room table. Afterwards, Cody grabbed his duffel bag and filled it with some clothes, and a few other things. He picked up his car keys and phone and left the apartment, without looking back...

*This was my temporary home...

It's not where I belong..

Windows and rooms

that I'm passing through..

This was just a stop

On the way to where I'm going..

I'm not afraid because I know..

This was my temporary home.. *


	2. Chapter 2

~*~ In Cody's P.O.V. ~*~

_Where did we go wrong? He... Was my other half.. I'm not afraid to admit that I'm nothing without him. We could have fixed this.. I could be snuggling in his arms right now on the couch, sipping on a glass of champagne, and talking about our day. Right now, he would be telling me about how a jerk at the gym got to the weight section before he did, and about how he could have easily RKO'd him through the floor. But no. I had to run my mouth to him about me cheating on him.. I guess... I did that to spite him.. Why did I have to tell him that I was cheating on him? There are thousands of alternatives to piss him off... And besides.. I was entirely too loyal to... Randy... To even consider cheating on him with anyone. So, now... Because of my blind ignorance and overwhelmingly quick reactions to being verbally assaultive.. I've literally, driven him out of my arms and out of my life... But... This dispute didn't just happen out of the blue. It had, in fact, been building up for a long time... I just wish that I could turn back time..Just enough to right a few wrongs..._

~*~ Regular P.O.V. ~*~ *(Flashback: 2 Years ago...)*

"And there goes del Rio," shouted Michael Cole into his headset for the fans watching on television, "he's softening up Cody's arm for his patented cross-armbar!"

Alberto del Rio had done a form of DDT to Cody's arm. Cody, rolling onto his side, wrenched his arm towards his chest and held it tightly. Ricardo Rodriguez, del Rio's personal ring announcer, clambored up onto the apron and was speaking frantically to del Rio in Spanish. This bought Cody a bit of time. Cody managed to crawl into the corner and rest his spinning head against one of the turnbuckles. Behind Cody's tightly-shut eyes, he could see a vivid face. It was the rugged features of his best friend, Randy Orton.

"Remember Cody," the memory said, "no one can keep you down. No one can stop you from achieving your goals but you. I know you can beat del Rio. He can't hold a candle to you. Nor can anyone else back in that locker room. Not even _I_ can! I just want you to know that, win or lose, I'm proud of you, Cody.. You're always a champ to me.. Now, get on out there and kick del Rio straight back to Mexico! And his little ass-man servant, too!"

Cody opened his eyes. Del Rio and Ricardo were still on the other side of the ring having a frantic, strategic conversation. The words of encouragement from Randy seemed to have given Cody new-found energy and strength. Cody shot up in the corner with ice in his soul and fire in his veins. Del Rio looked at Cody in astonishment. Almost as though he expected Cody to be whimpering on the floor, groveling for mercy. Del Rio pushed aside Ricardo and charged at Cody. Both of them exchanged blows. Cody managed to best del Rio in the close combat. He, Cody, ran back towards the ropes, jumped up on them, then perfectly executed his Beautiful Disaster kick to the side of del Rio's skull. Del Rio staggered back slightly, one hand covering a small portion of his face. The deafening roar of the crowd began to chant "Let's go Cody!" in a rhythmic style.

"If I'm not mistaken," stated commentator Jerry "The King" Lawler, "I'd say that Cody's preparing to set del Rio up for his patented 'Cross Rhodes'!"

Del Rio stood, his back facing Cody. He bent over slightly, his hands resting on his knees, and shook his head. Cody rushed him from behind and tucked del Rio under his arms, preparing to perform Cross Rhodes. But before Cody could, del Rio countered it by spinning around. He managed to keep a hold on Cody's left arm. He did another DDT to Cody's arm. Cody fell back to the floor, once again, while del Rio briefly paced the ring. Del Rio then grabbed Cody's arm and wrenched it back, locking in the Cross-Armbar.

"Is he gonna tap out?" screeched Michael Cole.

Cody tried tugging his arm out of del Rio's posession. But del Rio was too strong. And cody was forced to tap out.

"Here is your winner - " started Lilian Garcia, the ring announcer. Ricardo Rodriguez had came into the ring and snatched the microphone out of her hands.

"Alberto del Rio!" squawked Ricardo. "Alberto del Rio! Alberto del Rio! Alberto del Rio! ALBERTO DEEELLL RRRRIIIIOOOOOO!"

Del Rio stood in the center of the ring, Ricardo prancing around him. Cody looked up at them, shame beginning to fill him...

"I hear voices in my head... ~*~ "

Randy came running out, full speed towards the ring. He started pummeling del Rio, hit after hit, no-holds-barred, straight to the skull of del Rio. Ranty landed a punt kick to the abdomen of del Rio, causing the wind to be literally forced out of him, and for him to bend over slightly. Randy threw himself against the ropes, then was forced back towards del Rio, performing a running knee-lift to the chin of del Rio. Randy ran past him, once again, and started ricocheting off the ropes, landing clothesline after clothesline on del Rio. Del Rio attempted to attack Randy, but Randy had ducked out of the way and powerslammed del Rio to the ground. Randy got up, veins pulsing in his templees. He turned, facing del Rio. Just as del Rio had stood up and turned around, Randy nailed him with an RKO. The crowd was loving it. Cody, watching fromt he corner, began to see double. Randy rushed over to his side.

"Cody!" Randy said. "Cody! Are you okay? ... Cody? ... Cody! Answer me! ... - "

Cody awoke half an hour later to find himself back in his locker room. Someone was sponging off his forehead. It was Randy.

"Hello there, sleepyhead," Randy cooed.

"Randy... I'm sorry," Cody said, plainly.

"For what?" Randy asked. "From what I saw, you kicked the literal shit out of him!"

"You - you watched my match?" Cody asked.

"Are you kidding me? I wouldn't have missed it for anything in the world!" Randy said, leaning back to reveal a television, which was now tuned inot a match featuring The Miz vs. John Cena. "And.. I'm very proud of you.."

"Why?" Cody inquired. "I lost..."

Randy leaned down and placed a kiss on Cody's forehead.

"Yes you did," Randy stated. "In my eyes, you're always a winner..."

*(End of Flashback)*


End file.
